Adding an associate to your pediatric dental practice is one way to grow your practice, and it’s a good choice for many practices.

However, there are reasons why a pediatric dentist might prefer to practice solo, but still need ways to grow their practice. Here are some alternatives that might bring greater benefits in the long run, and be a better fit for you.

Practice the Way You Want to Practice

You are not alone if you prefer to practice solo as a pediatric dentist. Some dentists prefer not to take on the risks and responsibilities of a partnership or of managing another doctor. Others practice in a rural area, where it would be impractical to have two pediatric dentists, as the local population is not large enough to add a partner to double the production.

When there are good reasons for not bringing in an associate, it is important that you know you don’t have to! It is entirely possible to grow your pediatric dental practice in other ways. Take a look at the following tips to find solutions that can work for you.

Market Your Practice Online

Online marketing is essential for any pediatric dental practice that is looking to grow its patient base. You can bring in new patients by staying active on social media, making sure your website is as easy to use as possible, and sharing fresh content on your site. The more fresh content there is on your site, the more likely people are to find it through search engines. Once there, it should be easy for them to get in touch with you to ask questions or schedule an appointment.

It is also important to manage your reputation online. Encourage existing patients to leave reviews on services such as Google and Facebook. Even better, reach out to the patients who have had the best experiences with you and with whom you have the best rapport and encourage them to leave reviews. These reviews help to build trust in your dental practice and are often the first place new patients will look to get an impression of the care you offer. If you also get negative reviews, don’t panic. Simply respond to them politely and offer to resolve the problems that dissatisfied patients have experienced.

If you currently do not have enough patients, then these tried-and-tested online marketing tips are a fantastic first step to help you grow your pediatric dental practice. However, if you have plenty of patients, but want to earn more revenue, then the next tip is the one for you.

Add an Additional Service

Adding an additional service, such as orthodontics, is an alternative way to bring income to your pediatric dental practice. In general, it is much easier to increase revenue by providing new services to existing patients than by bringing in new ones. Let’s now take a look at how the figures add up for dental practices that provide orthodontics as an additional service.

A typical orthodontics case is $5,000. Even if you only add two orthodontics cases per month to your practice, you could grow your practice revenue by $173,000 with profits of $80,000 in just the first two years.

By offering orthodontic services, you will set yourself apart from most pediatric dental practices. Only 38.8% of pediatric dentists say they practice clinical orthodontics in their facilities. What’s more, only 7.1% of general practitioners offer orthodontic services within their practices. You can gain a reputation as a pediatric dentist who provides orthodontic treatment, rather than having to refer patients elsewhere. Busy parents are often looking for a dentist who can provide all the care their kids need, so this in-house offering can make your practice much more attractive.

Orthodontic courses for pediatric dentists provide great opportunities to expand your skills. You can even complete a course while continuing to run your pediatric dental practice. That means you can continue to meet the needs of your existing patients today, while developing the skills you need to offer them more comprehensive treatment in the near future.

Research suggests that pediatric dentists are more likely, compared to orthodontists or general dentists, to provide orthodontic treatment early in a patient’s life, before they have all their permanent teeth. Having the in-house ability to provide treatment early, rather than having to refer your patient on, could lead to better outcomes for them. As a result, you could have the satisfaction of knowing that you are changing your young patients’ lives for the better, at the same time as growing your pediatric dental practice.

How to Grow Your Pediatric Dental Practice With Orthodontic Courses

Synergy Orthodontic Seminars offers a comprehensive range of orthodontic courses for pediatric dentists. To get started, why not take a look at our upcoming events calendar right now? Contact Synergy Orthodontic Seminars today for more information about any course we offer or to book your place.